CSIRO: It's fine to eat eggs every day, and no – your heart is not at risk

By Stuart Marsh| 2 years ago

Eggs are not your concern when it comes to cholesterol.

One day the egg is the villain of all our cholesterol woes, the next it’s the saviour of all wellness warriors.

But new research from CSIRO has brought some common sense back into the debate, saying it’s fine to eat eggs every day, and those who do might be healthier overall.

Findings from the Healthy Diet Score Report found that most Aussies consume an average 5.7 eggs a week, with most of those eaten at breakfast.

The group who eats the most eggs are Australians under the age of 35 (no doubt due to the huge trend of poached eggs on avocado toast), with the group most afraid of the egg being Australians over the age of 60.

The Healthy Diet Score Report is an annual survey undertaken by the CSIRO to assess the health of the nation's eating.

The 2016 report looked at the diets of over 86,000 people, and gave the nation a marginal pass with an average score of 56 out of 100, saying that "four out of five Australians have a diet that's below par".

Despite this, it appears that our egg consumption may be our saving grace, with Professor Manny Noakes praising research that says it's okay to eat eggs every day.

Experts say having a high-protein breakfast – like two eggs on toast – is a great way to start your day because protein is the most filling macronutrient you consume. With two eggs containing almost 14G of protein, it's unlikely that you'll feel hungry again until lunchtime.

But what about the issue of eggs being bad for your heart? According to the Heart Foundation, there's nothing really to worry about – unless you're eating a full dozen every couple of days.

"As part of a healthy balanced diet you can eat up to six eggs each week without increasing your risk of heart disease," the Heart Foundation writes on its website.

"Most people don’t need to worry about eating eggs and their cholesterol. The cholesterol in eggs has almost no effect on our blood cholesterol levels."

It’s a sentiment that the Australian Dietary Guidelines agrees with, saying that eggs have largely been demonised in the past without much scientific backing.

"There do not appear to be any increased health risks associated with consumption of eggs," the guidelines say.

"There is recent evidence to suggest that consumption of eggs every day is not associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease."